Iraq

Iraq enter World Cup 2026 in Group I, where the early tests are France, Senegal, and Norway. Iraq have never won the World Cup and their only previous finals appearance came in 1986, when they exited in the group stage. Returning to this platform is itself a major achievement. The current squad is shaped around Ayman Hussein and Ibrahim Bayesh, a core that gives the team recognizable quality in the moments that usually decide group-stage matches: set pieces, transition attacks, and pressure around the box.

For this tournament, the assignment is both tactical and psychological: start quickly, protect the middle of the pitch, and make the group feel uncomfortable before the knockout picture forms. The draw is brutal, so Iraq need defensive concentration and efficient counters. Hussein's finishing gives them a focal point, but every point in Group I will need to be earned. If Iraq can turn its best individual stretches into a full 90-minute platform, the campaign has room to grow beyond a simple participation story.